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Ence (esports)
Ence (esports)
Ence (esports)
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Ence (stylized as ENCE) is a Finnish esports organization with teams and players competing in Counter-Strike 2, PUBG: Battlegrounds, StarCraft II, and NHL 22.[1][2] ENCE was founded in 2013[3] and the organization takes inspiration for its name from the Enceladus of Greek mythology.[4] It is currently based in Helsinki[5] and is the most popular esports organization in Finland.[6] The organization also competed in Hearthstone and Overwatch until 2018,[7][8] and in League of Legends for the 2020 season.[9] ENCE is best known for its success in Starcraft II and CS:GO. Serral was the first non-Korean to win a StarCraft II World Championship and the CS:GO team finished second at IEM Katowice Major 2019.[10][11][12]

Key Information

Counter-Strike

[edit]

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

[edit]

ENCE was founded in 2013 and picked up a Finnish CS:GO team which competed in local tournaments.[13] In July 2014, the team disbanded after a series of disappointing results and did not return to CS:GO until 2016.[14][15] The organization fielded multiple Finnish lineups for the next two years[16][17] but did not have a stable roster until April 2018, when the organization signed Aleksi "allu" Jalli, Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen, Jani "Aerial" Jussila, Jere "sergej" Salo, and Sami "xseveN" Laasanen.[18][19] The roster of young talent went on an unexpected Cinderella run at IEM Katowice Major 2019 before finally losing in the finals to Astralis.[18][20] During the Major the team's unlikely success made them a fan favorite among neutrals and in Finland.[21][22][23] The Verkkars, a Finnish musical duo, released a song called "EZ4ENCE", titled after the team's chant; it references players, coaches, and team memes.[21] "EZ4ENCE" went viral in Finland during the tournament, eventually becoming the fourth-most-popular song in a Finnish top 50 published by Spotify.[24] The song would later be added into the game by Valve.[25] ENCE remained one of the top CS:GO teams in 2019, winning BLAST Pro Series Madrid and finishing second at DreamHack Masters Dallas and IEM Chicago.[26][10]

IEM Katowice 2019 remains ENCE's best performance at a CS:GO Major, although they reached the playoff round of StarLadder Major: Berlin 2019[27] and the semifinals of PGL Major Antwerp 2022.[28][29]

The team's results worsened at the start of 2020[30] and ENCE gradually replaced all of the players from the IEM Katowice run with an international roster.[31][32][33] In February 2022, with the release of Joonas "doto⁠" Forss, ENCE's roster was completely non-Finnish for the first time in the organization's history.[34][35] The team instead set up a Finnish academy team.[36][37] Shortly after, ENCE partnered with ESL, receiving a guaranteed spot in the ESL Pro League.[38] The new roster has reached the top-5 of HLTV's world rankings.[39]

ENCE won their first trophy in over four years after beating MOUZ in the grand finals of IEM Dallas 2023, where Alvaro "SunPayus" Garcia would claim his first MVP title.[40] The team would continue their strong form with grand final appearances in their following two tournaments, IEM Cologne 2023 and Gamers8 2023.[41][42]

ENCE also attended ESL Pro League Season 18, where they placed 3-4th after being eliminated in the semi-finals by MOUZ.[43]

Counter-Strike 2

[edit]

On 26 November 2023, ENCE announced the departures of coach Eetu "sAw" Saha and in-game leader Marco "Snappi" Pfeiffer, who were replaced by Jakub "kuben" Gurczynski and Lukas "gla1ve" Rossander respectively.[44][45] Later, on 16 December 2023, the team announced the departures of Alvaro "SunPayus" Garcia and Pavle "⁠Maden⁠" Bošković, who were signed by Saudi Arabian organization Team Falcons, along with Snappi the day prior.[46][47] Heroic announced the signing of Guy "NertZ" Iluz on 17 December 2023, reducing ENCE's roster to only gla1ve and Paweł "dycha" Dycha.[48]

The same day, ENCE announced the signing of the Polish roster 9INE's core, consisting of Krzysztof "⁠Goofy⁠" Górski, Kacper "⁠Kylar⁠" Walukiewicz, and previous ENCE player Olek "⁠hades⁠" Miskiewicz.[49]

Roster

[edit]
ENCE Counter-Strike 2 roster
Players Coaches
Handle Name Nationality
gla1ve (I) Lukas Rossander Denmark
rigoN Rigon Gashi Switzerland
podi Paavo Heiskanen Finland
sdy Viktor Orudzhev Ukraine
Neityu Ryan Aubry France
mylsti Ville Vilkman Finland
kuben (I) Jakub Gurczyński Poland
Head coach

Niclas "enkay J" Krumhorn

Legend:
  • (I) Inactive
  • (S) Suspended
  • Substitute player Substitute
  • Injured Injury / Illness
  

Roster updated 9 Jul 2025.

Starcraft II

[edit]

Serral, a Finnish Zerg player, joined ENCE in October 2016[50] and is one of the best players in the world.[51][52] In 2018, Serral became the first non-Korean player to win a StarCraft II World Championship.[53]

NHL esports

[edit]

Finnish player Erik "EKI" Tammenpää represents ENCE in NHL esports.[54] EKI is the most successful Finnish player in the game and one of the top players globally.[55] He was chosen by the Finnish Association of Sports Journalists as the 2021 Finnish esport athlete of the year.[56]

Overwatch

[edit]

Ence rostered an Overwatch division from 2017 to 2018. In March 2024, the organization announced their return to Overwatch esports, competing in the Overwatch Champions Series.[57]

Roster

[edit]
ENCE Overwatch 2 roster
Players Coaches
Handle Name Nationality
Kai Kai Collins United Kingdom
kevster Kevin Persson Sweden
Vestola Ilari Vestola Finland
Chase Oleksandr Okseschenko Ukraine
Skai Robert Lupsa Romania
WMaimone William Maimone Wales
Kellex Kristian Keller Denmark
Head coach
  • Vacant
Legend:
  • (I) Inactive
  • (S) Suspended
  • Substitute player Substitute
  • Injured Injury / Illness
  

Roster updated September 3rd, 2024.

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Ence (esports)

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
ENCE (stylized as ENCE) is a Finnish professional esports organization founded on April 13, 2013, renowned for its competitive teams primarily in Counter-Strike 2 and, historically, StarCraft II. Based in , ENCE has established itself as Finland's most successful esports brand, with a focus on building sustainable talent development through its academy system and international rosters. The organization entered the esports scene with initial rosters in and , but gained global prominence through its Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (now ) team, which rose to the #2 ranking on in 2019 following a string of high-profile victories. Key achievements include winning the BLAST Pro Series: Madrid 2019, securing second place at the —the highest finish by a Finnish team at a Major—and claiming the IEM Dallas 2023 title, ENCE's first LAN trophy in four years. In , ENCE's partnership with player Joona "Serral" Sotala from 2016 to 2023 marked a golden era, as Serral became the first non-Korean to win the WCS Global Championship in 2018 and dominated the scene with multiple titles, including the WCS Circuit Finals. Following Serral's departure to in January 2023, ENCE shifted focus back to while maintaining academy programs and exploratory rosters in games like and NHL esports. As of November 2025, ENCE's flagship Counter-Strike 2 roster consists of an international lineup including sdy (), rigoN (), myltsi (), Neityu (), and podi (), currently ranked #33 on with recent participation in tier-1 events like the Thunderpick World Championship 2025, where they won European Series #2 to qualify for the closed qualifier and placed 9–16th overall. The organization emphasizes a "winning culture" through strategic investments in coaching, infrastructure, and community engagement, solidifying its role as a cornerstone of European .

Organization

Founding and early years

ENCE eSports was founded on April 13, 2013, in , , by Petri "Procyon" Hämäläinen of Peliliiga, Toni "Chibulis" Jarkima formerly of Gaming, and Teemu "wabbit" Hiilinen of SEUL. The organization's name draws inspiration from , a giant in , symbolizing strength and ambition within the esports landscape. Established with the goal of professionalizing the Finnish esports scene, ENCE aimed to foster a sustainable competitive environment from its inception. Upon formation, ENCE immediately entered the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive scene by signing the roster from TOOMUCHVIDEOGAMES (TMVG), consisting of Miikka "dRiim" Toroi, Miika "mkzz" Saarelainen, Saku "SAGGERTON" Jokinen, Markus "shaker" Pyysalo, and Miikka "suNny" Kemppi. This lineup marked the organization's debut, with their first competition at the ESPC #2 LAN event in shortly after the signing. The team also participated in online qualifiers like the ESPC league, where they secured seven wins in eight matches, and later competed in international online tournaments such as RaidCall EMS One Fall 2013. In its early phase, ENCE focused primarily on : Global Offensive while building a multi-gaming foundation, though the CS:GO division disbanded in mid-2014 amid roster changes. The organization relaunched its CS:GO efforts in January 2016 with a new lineup, and by mid-2016, expanded into by signing player Kufdon, alongside establishing a division to diversify its competitive presence. These initial steps laid the groundwork for ENCE's growth into a prominent Finnish esports entity, culminating in significant developments after 2018.

Rebranding and expansion

On March 12, 2018, ENCE relaunched its CS:GO division by signing a talented Finnish roster with roots in local competitions—led by Aleksi "allu" Jalli—and announcing a partnership with the ice hockey club, redirecting its focus toward building a competitive : Global Offensive division. This transformation was followed by a from ENCE eSports to ENCE on April 1, 2018. Originally founded in 2013 as a multi-game entity, this shift marked ENCE's pivot to professional dominance in CS:GO while retaining some multi-title ambitions. The rebranded ENCE reached its zenith in 2019, ascending to the world number 2 ranking on HLTV.org following strong performances in major tournaments, including a semifinal appearance at the StarLadder Berlin Major. This success solidified ENCE's status as a top-tier CS:GO contender and attracted broader investment, enabling organizational growth beyond a single game. Building on this momentum, ENCE expanded into additional esports disciplines, re-entering Overwatch in March 2024 by signing a free-agent team for the Overwatch Champions Series before disbanding the division in January 2025 due to unsustainable costs. The organization also launched its NHL esports efforts around the 2020-2021 season with the signing of players like Erik "Eki" Tammenpää, while sustaining active divisions in PUBG: Battlegrounds since 2019 and StarCraft II through ongoing player development. By November 2025, ENCE had amassed approximately $4.6 million in total prize money across all titles, with the vast majority derived from Counter-Strike events; key sponsorships included Monster Energy and Intel, facilitated via ESL Gaming partnerships that supported ENCE as a Pro League partner team. In 2025, ENCE demonstrated continued adaptability through roster maneuvers, including loaning rifler Kacper "xKacpersky" Gabara to in July and promoting academy player "myltsi" Vilkman to the main team to maintain competitive depth. These moves underscored ENCE's strategy of blending youth development with short-term flexibility amid evolving landscapes.

Counter-Strike

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

ENCE entered the : Global Offensive scene in 2013, forming its initial roster on September 12 with Finnish players naSu, aslak, reflex, jOELZ, and disturbed. By 2014, the organization signed additional local talents including owa, ScurK, and others, focusing on developing regional talent and competing in Finnish tournaments such as the Assembly Summer events, where they achieved consistent top placements and built a foundation in the domestic scene. Despite several roster iterations and challenges through 2017, ENCE maintained a presence in European qualifiers but struggled to break into the international tier-1 circuit. The organization's breakthrough came in 2018 following a that emphasized esports investment, enabling a renewed focus on CS:GO. On March 12, 2018, ENCE signed experienced rifler Aleksi "allu" Jalli from mousesports, pairing him with Finnish prospects Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen, Jani "Aerial" Jussila, Jere "sergej" Salo, and Sami "xseveN" Laasanen to form a cohesive all-Finnish lineup. This roster propelled a rapid ascent, securing strong performances in Season 7 (2nd place in Europe) and DreamHack Austin 2018 (3rd-4th place), culminating in a peak of #2 on the world rankings in July 2019. The team's aggressive playstyle and tactical leadership from Aleksib earned them recognition as underdog contenders, with notable upsets against established squads like and . ENCE's 2018-2019 golden era featured several high-impact achievements, including a runner-up finish at the XIII - Major 2019, where they defeated multiple top teams before losing 0-2 to in the grand final for $150,000. They claimed their first S-tier title at BLAST Pro Series: Madrid 2019, beating 2-0 in the final and securing $125,000, while also winning XIV - Chicago 2019 against . Further successes included a 3rd-4th place at the StarLadder Major 2019 and victories in events like StarSeries & Season 7, establishing ENCE as a major force with approximately $4.5 million in total CS:GO earnings over the era. Post-2019, ENCE experienced a sharp decline marked by key roster instability, beginning with the benching of in-game leader Aleksib in October 2019 amid internal tensions. Subsequent changes, including the departures of allu in 2022 and multiple imports like dycha and , led to inconsistent results and failure to qualify for Majors after 2019, with early exits in events like ESL One 2019 (13th-16th place). As the CS:GO engine approached its end-of-life, ENCE restructured in preparation for the transition to in late 2023, focusing on academy development and strategic signings to rebuild competitiveness.

Counter-Strike 2

ENCE transitioned to upon its release on September 27, 2023, leveraging the experience of players from their successful CS:GO era to adapt quickly to the updated game engine and mechanics. The organization made initial roster adjustments shortly after, adding in-game leader Lukas "gla1ve" Rossander and coach Kuben in November 2023 while releasing Álvaro "SunPayus" García and Elias "maden" Menglich to streamline the lineup for the new title. ENCE entered CS2 tournaments immediately, competing in the : Fall European Showdown in October 2023, where they secured a 3rd-4th place finish, and the : World Final later that year for 7th-8th place. These early events marked their integration into the CS2 ecosystem, with the team focusing on refining strategies amid the shift to sub-tick server technology and dynamic utilities. In the transitional phase leading directly into CS2, ENCE achieved a notable 2nd place at Gamers8 2023 in August, earning $180,000 and demonstrating momentum from their CS:GO form. Throughout 2024 and 2025, the team posted several strong results, including 1st place at Elisa Masters 2024 with a prize, 2nd at YaLLa Compass Qatar 2025 for $21,000, 5th-8th at Galaxy Battle 2025 Phase 2 earning $1,500, and 2nd at NODWIN Clutch Series #1 in October 2025 after a 2-0 loss to Nemiga. These accomplishments reflect ENCE's adaptation to CS2's innovative features, particularly the volumetric smoke grenades that respond to gunfire, explosions, and lighting for more realistic obstruction and tactical depth, allowing for advanced setups like fading edges and mid-smoke pushes. The organization has accumulated approximately $481,000 in CS2-specific earnings from late 2023 through November 2025 across these and other events. However, ENCE encountered significant challenges, including roster instability and inconsistent rankings on , where they peaked at #27 as of May 2025 before declining to #34 by November 10, 2025—far from their historical high of #2. Key disruptions included the release of AWPer Kylar in March 2025, the benching of gla1ve and loan of xKacpersky to in July 2025, and the departure of kuben in October 2025, which hampered team cohesion during a competitive landscape dominated by more stable lineups. Despite these hurdles, ENCE's veteran core continued to provide a foundation for competing in Tier 2 events and qualifiers.

Current roster

As of November 2025, ENCE's roster consists of an international lineup: sdy (), rigoN (), myltsi (), Neityu (), and podi (). The team is currently ranked #33 on .

PUBG: Battlegrounds

Division history

ENCE entered the esports scene on March 5, 2019, by acquiring the Finnish roster o1ne, consisting of players such as SkaV, Tiikzu, and Rustanmar. This marked the organization's expansion into the battle royale genre, with the team competing primarily in European regional leagues like the PUBG Europe League (PEL). The squad achieved early success, winning the PEL 2019 Phase 1 in dominant fashion and qualifying for international events. Over the following years, ENCE's PUBG division underwent several roster changes to adapt to the competitive meta and regional shifts. Notable updates included the addition of players like SKUIJKE, Mise, and NOOKIE, while maintaining a Finnish core. Key achievements encompassed a 3rd-place finish at the PUBG Continental Series 5: in and participation in the PUBG Global Championship 2021, where they placed 12th. The team accumulated approximately $409,124 in earnings from 20 tournaments, highlighting their mid-tier presence in the European PUBG ecosystem. However, facing challenges in sustaining competitiveness amid roster instability and the evolving PUBG esports landscape, ENCE disbanded its PUBG division on January 29, 2023. No further activity has been recorded since, aligning with the organization's refocus on core titles like . As of November 2025, the PUBG division remains inactive, with historical contributions noted in Finnish esports development.

Current roster

As of November 2025, ENCE does not maintain an active roster, following the disbandment of the division in January 2023.

StarCraft II

Division history

ENCE entered the StarCraft II scene on April 13, 2013, with the signing of Finnish player Samuli "Elfi" Sihvonen, marking the organization's initial foray into the genre. The division operated for approximately 10 months before disbanding in early 2014 due to roster inactivity. The division was revived on April 16, 2016, with the acquisition of Vesa "Welmu" Hovinen, followed by the signing of Joona "Serral" Sotala on October 4, 2016. Serral's tenure from 2016 to 2023 represented a pinnacle for Finnish StarCraft II, as he became the first non-Korean player to win the World Championship Series (WCS) Global Championship in 2018 and secured multiple titles, including the WCS Austin 2018, WCS Global Finals 2018, and WCS Circuit Finals across 2018–2020. Under ENCE, Serral amassed over $1.2 million in earnings, dominating the scene with consistent top finishes in major tournaments like the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) and Global StarCraft II League (GSL) events. Following Serral's departure to Team Basilisk on January 27, 2023, ENCE disbanded its division, shifting focus to other titles such as 2. The organization's total earnings from tournaments reached approximately $1,207,921 as of the division's closure.

Current roster

As of November 2025, ENCE does not maintain an active roster, following the division's disbandment on January 27, 2023.

NHL esports

Division history

ENCE launched its NHL esports division in August 2020 by signing Erik "Eki" Tammenpää, the 2018 NHL Gaming World Championship winner, marking the organization's entry into competitive NHL gaming under EA Sports and participation in Finnish esports leagues such as the IS Cup series. This move aligned with ENCE's broader diversification into multiple esports disciplines following their Counter-Strike breakout in 2018-2019. The division has progressed through annual title iterations, from NHL 21 to NHL 25, with Tammenpää adapting to gameplay updates while representing ENCE in international and regional events. Key achievements include multiple victories in the NHL European Championships (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024), securing first place in the IIHF eWorld Championship (2022), and a runner-up finish at the 2023 NHL World Championship. These results highlight consistent top-tier performance in a niche esports scene, with the division's total earnings exceeding $60,000 from major tournaments since inception. Despite successes, the NHL division faces challenges inherent to the sport's simulation esports landscape, which remains smaller in scale and viewership compared to ENCE's flagship FPS titles like . Roster stability has been maintained through Tammenpää's long-term contract renewals, including extensions in 2022 and 2024, avoiding major disruptions. As of November 2025, the division remains active, with Tammenpää competing in NHL 25 Global Series qualifiers and events like Winter 2025, as well as organizing community events like the Voittamattomat Änäris 2v2 , positioning ENCE as a steady mid-tier contender in European NHL amid ongoing seasonal adaptations.

Current roster

As of November 2025, ENCE's NHL roster features a single active player, Erik "EKI" Tammenpää, a 26-year-old Finnish specialist in simulation-based gameplay for NHL 25. Tammenpää joined ENCE in August 2020, marking the organization's entry into NHL amid broader expansions in the competitive gaming landscape. Specializing in forward simulation roles, he leverages custom sliders and meta strategies within EA's ecosystem to optimize team performance in tournament simulations, drawing from his experience as a 2018 NHL winner and multiple-time European champion. No substitutes or dedicated coaches are currently listed for the division.

References

  1. https://liquipedia.net/counterstrike/ENCE
  2. https://www.esportsheaven.com/features/ence-the-consolidation-of-finnish-esports/
  3. https://ence.gg/pages/academy
  4. https://www.hltv.org/team/4869/ence
  5. https://ence.gg/pages/team-cs
  6. https://pley.gg/ence-cs2/
  7. https://ence.gg/blogs/news/farewell-serral
  8. https://www.esportsearnings.com/players/5513-serral-joona-sotala
  9. https://www.esportsearnings.com/teams/385-ence-esports/rosters
  10. https://escorenews.com/en/csgo/team/ence
  11. https://liquipedia.net/counterstrike/Thunderpick/World_Championship/2025
  12. https://liquipedia.net/leagueoflegends/ENCE
  13. https://www.hltv.org/news/17961/ence-qualify-for-dh-open-summer
  14. https://ence.gg/pages/about-ence
  15. https://www.hltv.org/news/10515/tmvg-now-ence-esports
  16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpDAYufsVyQ
  17. https://ence.gg/blogs/news/ence-expands-into-hearthstone-welcome-kufdon
  18. https://www.esportsearnings.com/teams/385-ence
  19. https://www.hltv.org/events/4443/starladder-major-berlin-2019
  20. https://liquipedia.net/overwatch/ENCE
  21. https://ence.gg/blogs/news/ence-exits-overwatch-2
  22. https://sportsgamer.gg/community/news/ea-sports-nhl/erik-eki-tammenp%25C3%25A4%25C3%25A4-signs-with-finnish-powerhouse-ence-the-bar-is-set-very-high-r694/
  23. https://liquipedia.net/pubg/ENCE
  24. https://liquipedia.net/starcraft2/Ence_eSports
  25. https://eslfaceitgroup.com/blog/2022/03/esl-gaming-and-monster-energy-announce-historic-multi-year-global-portfolio-partnership/
  26. https://esportsinsider.com/2023/02/who-are-the-esl-pro-league-partner-teams
  27. https://ence.gg/blogs/news/xkacpersky-moves-to-nip-on-loan
  28. https://www.hltv.org/news/34891/iem-rio-major-profile-ence
  29. https://www.ence.gg/article/ence-returns-csgo-aleksi-allu-jalli/
  30. https://liquipedia.net/counterstrike/Intel_Extreme_Masters/Season_XIII/World_Championship
  31. https://www.hltv.org/news/26780/ence-beat-astralis-2-0-to-win-blast-pro-series-madrid
  32. https://www.esportsearnings.com/teams/385-ence-esports/results/957-csgo
  33. https://www.hltv.org/news/28733/the-headlines-of-2019-an-end-of-season-recap
  34. https://liquipedia.net/counterstrike/ESL/One/2019/Cologne
  35. https://www.hltv.org/events/8739/nodwin-clutch-series-1
  36. https://www.esportsearnings.com/tournaments/72674-ygames-pro-series-2025
  37. https://www.esportsearnings.com/tournaments/70593-elisa-masters-espoo-2024
  38. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y9MpNcAitQ
  39. https://ggscore.com/en/csgo/team/ence
  40. https://ence.gg/blogs/news/roster-update-ence-pubg
  41. https://www.esportsearnings.com/teams/385-ence/results/2929-pubg
  42. https://www.esportsearnings.com/teams/385-ence/results/708-starcraft-2
  43. https://ence.gg/blogs/news/welcome-erik-eki-tammenpaa
  44. https://www.ence.fi/player/eki/
  45. https://www.nhl.com/islanders/news/erik-eki-tammenpaa-earns-his-sixth-european-title-at-the-ea-sports-nhl-24-european-championship
  46. https://media.nhl.com/public/news/17045
  47. https://sportsgamer.gg/community/news/ea-sports-nhl/erik-eki-tammenp%25C3%25A4%25C3%25A4-is-your-2021-nhl-gwc-european-champion-competition-still-continues-in-search-of-a-na-champion-r861/
  48. https://www.esportsearnings.com/players/52869-eki-erik-tammenpaa
  49. https://ence.gg/blogs/news/eki-signs-a-contract-with-ence-for-another-year
  50. https://www.ence.fi/article/eki-signs-a-contract-with-ence-for-another-year/
  51. https://x.com/ENCE/status/1842127785428463659
  52. https://assembly.org/events/winter25/program/nhl-esports-6v6-european-championship-finals-en
  53. https://escharts.com/tournaments/nhl
  54. https://ence.gg/pages/player/eki
  55. https://www.ence.fi/article/welcome-erik-eki-tammenpae/
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